I Will Always Come Back to You
by Shutupandlovetennant
Summary: The Doctor gets a little too close to losing Rose again. Rose helps reassure him that she is never, ever going to let that happen. A post-Journey's End AU.


The Doctor glances at himself in the mirror once more, checking that his bowtie is perfectly straight and his hair is just tousled enough. Just as he's satisfied that he looks the way he wants, he hears a familiar voice call him through the closed loo door.

"You 'bout ready? I'm sure your hair looks lovely," Rose says. He laughs at the fond exasperation in her voice and steps back from the mirror.

"Alright, alright," he says as he opens the door and steps into their room. When he catches sight of Rose, he can't help the way his brain shorts out for a second, even though he saw her all dressed up before he went into the loo.

"You look beautiful," he says, eyes running up and down her body. She's in a floor length red gown that hugs her curves in a way that makes him a little jealous, if he's honest.

"You don't look half bad yourself," she teases, prowling over to him and hooking her arms behind his neck. He takes a shaky breath when her lips just barely graze his. Just as he's about to grab her hips and pull her flush up against him, she pulls away. He groans and his bottom lip juts out, and he notices the way she licks her lips when she looks at his mouth. He smirks, preparing to strike, when Rose shakes her head and reaches for his hand, pulling him towards the door with her.

"None of that, we're already running late," she says. "Let's just hope the tux doesn't cause us any extra trouble tonight."

"Would it really be so bad if we accidentally missed this party?" he asks, tugging gently on her hand in the hopes of turning them around.

"Well," she says, looking up at him, "considering it's a giant ball they're throwing to thank us for saving their king and queen, it might be a little bit rude."

He can't deny that she's right, as much as he wants to. All the thanks he really wants is the freedom to return to their room and spend the night wrapped up in each other.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

When they make it down to the ballroom, they both plaster on their most charming smiles and prepare to accept all the gratitude that is sure to be thrown their way all night. As soon as they step foot on the dance floor, they're rushed by the king and queen themselves.

"We wanted to personally thank you once again," Queen Siva says, grabbing one of their hands in each of hers. "We would not be here tonight without you. Our kingdom would have been thrown into utter chaos. Thank you."

The Doctor and Rose smile and the queen squeezes their hands once before dropping them and stepping back to stand next to her husband.

"Yes, we will be eternally indebted to you. You are welcome in our kingdom at any time. And if there is anything we can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask. We hope you enjoy yourselves tonight, as no expense has been spared in your honor." With that final word, the king takes his wife's hand and they return to the middle of the dance floor. They hold each other tightly and sway to the music, and the Doctor averts his gaze, feeling as though he's intruding on something far too personal just by watching them.

"I'm starving," Rose says. The Doctor hums and nods. Come to think of it, he can't remember the last time they actually had a meal.

"Let's get some food in you, Rose Tyler," he says. This time, he's the one to take her hand and tug her along with him. They manage to make it to the massive buffet, skirting around as many people as possible.

"Wow," Rose says, jaw dropping at the sight of the expansive spread of food in front of her.

"I'll say," he mutters, looking up and down the table. The king and queen hadn't been joking when they said no expense had been spared. It's one of the hugest buffets the Doctor has ever seen; the table holds everything from delectable nibbles at one end to the fixings of a full meal at the other end.

"What do you say?" the Doctor asks, tilting his head. "Get a few nibbles now and then maybe a little dance?"

Rose's eyes light up at the prospect of dancing, just as he knew they would. He also knew she'd never make it through a proper meal with the thought of a dance distracting her.

"Really? Even in front of all these people?" she whispers. The Doctor nods, pulling her close. He kisses the crown of her head and breathes in the intoxicating scent that is Rose.

"It was a rough day," he says simply. Rose wraps her arms around his waist and pulls him in tighter. He's had a knot in his stomach for hours now that can only ever appeased when he's holding her close like this, so if that means dancing in front of the whole kingdom, that's exactly what he's going to do.

They eat some finger foods quickly. The Doctor takes as much time as possible to savor the rich flavors before Rose grabs his hand once more, pulling him to the dance floor with a delighted giggle. The Doctor can't help but join in with her, his joy, as always, feeding off hers.

They end up in a corner of the ballroom and hope to keep attention off themselves. Before long, however, the whole crowd has turned to look at them, making their cozy little corner feel like center stage with a spotlight. The Doctor tenses up, fingers fidgeting nervously against Rose's hips.

"It's just me an' you, Doctor," she whispers against his neck, lips brushing against his skin.

He swallows hard and nods as he holds her closer. If he closes his eyes, he can almost imagine it is just them back on the TARDIS. Swaying in the console room as the TARDIS plays her favorite song. He buries his face in her hair and takes a deep, soothing breath. Rose runs her palms up and down his back, and the tense muscles begin to relax. He hums the melody that's swirling around them softly into her ear and feels her chuckle against his chest.

"What's so funny, then?" he whispers. Rose shakes her head.

"Of course you know this song," she says and he can imagine the way she's rolling her eyes at him. "You said you've never even been here before."

"I haven't! This is one of the most popular songs in this galaxy, though." He grins and gives her a squeeze, spinning them around as the song ends and a faster one fades in.

"Those're the moves I've been looking for," she laughs.

"Oh, I'll show you my moves, Rose," he growls, securing her body flush against his and leaning down to brush their lips together. She gasps, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss him harder. He groans, his grip on her hips tightening and Rose grinds against him. Suddenly, he's overwhelmed with the memory of what happened today. How close he came to losing Rose _again._ To never holding her in his arms again. Never kissing her lips. Never hearing her voice. Holding her hand. His hand was made to fit in hers. He can't lose it again. He can't let anyone take her from him again. His breathing speeds up, chest heaving against Rose's, and she pulls back. He opens his eyes to see her peering up anxiously at him. When she meets his eyes, he knows she understands.

She glances around the room, discovering that the attention has finally been diverted from them back to the dancing king and queen.

"C'mon," she whispers. "Everyone's distracted, let's get out of here."

He nods frantically and they lace their fingers together, all but sprinting out of the room towards the stairs. They make it to their room as quickly as possible without drawing attention to themselves, and the Doctor slides the key out of his pocket and has the door open in record time.

"I'm sorry," he says once they're inside. Rose doesn't say anything, just wraps him up in her arms and holds him close, stroking her fingers through his hair with one hand. "I'm sorry."

"Shut up," she says. "You don't have anything to be sorry for."

"I just couldn't stop thinking… I don't even know where it came from…" He takes a deep breath, trying to center himself.

"I know, Doctor. I know."

"We got too close today, Rose," he says. She nods. He hates this. It's been this way since she got back. Since they stopped the stars from going out. He knows now what it is to live without Rose Tyler. It's no life for him. He needs her to be happy and safe and stay with him forever. "It's too dangerous."

"What are you talking about?" she asks, trying to pull back to look at his face, but his grip is too tight. She rests her head against his chest again. "This is the life we live. Sometimes I'll get into trouble and you'll save me. Sometimes you'll get into trouble and I'll save you. It's what the universe needs us to do. But I will always, _always_ come back to you."

"What if –"

"'What if, nothin'," she says. "The universe tried to keep us apart, and I just came right back, didn't I?"

He can't help but laugh a little at that. Rose Tyler. So stubborn even the universe couldn't tell her what to do.

"I just want you to be safe," he whispers. He's been working on saying things that matter since she came back. It isn't easy for him, not by a long shot, but it's so worth it. Rose deserves to hear what she means to him. When he thinks about how she nearly spent the rest of her life without ever hearing him say that he loved her, it still twists his hearts.

Rose nods against his chest. Slowly, she begins unbuttoning his jacket. Once it's open, she smooths her palms down his chest, and he can feel the heat of her skin through his thin shirt. It grounds him, reminds him that he didn't lose her today. She's still with him. She will be for a long, long time. His arms loosen around her and she steps back, looking up at him. As their eyes connect, she reaches up and pushes his jacket off his shoulders. It lands with a soft _whoosh_ on the floor, already forgotten. Next she moves to his bowtie and has it undone before he can blink. It hangs loose around his neck and Rose moves to unbutton his shirt, but he can't resist the pull of her lips for one more second.

He cradles her the back of her head and leans down, meshing their lips together. She smiles against him and doesn't stop her work on the buttons of his shirt. When they're all undone, she scores her fingernails down his chest. He groans, hips bucking against her. He kisses her harder and trips over his feet a little as she pushes him back towards the bed. His knees hit the bed and he falls heavily onto it. As he props himself up on his elbows, Rose gives him a deliciously filthy smirk and drops down to her knees. She reaches out, palming his growing erection gently. He swears in his native tongue, already beginning to go mad with want. She caresses his length through his trousers. The coarse fabric of his pants rubs against his sensitive flesh and he shifts his hips, hoping she'll rid him of his clothes sooner rather than later.

"Maybe we should have taken care of these earlier," she says. That smirk is still on her face, and he wants so badly to wipe it off with a kiss. To throw her down on the bed and worship her body until she forgets everything but his name. Right now, though, it looks like he's the one in danger of forgetting his own name. She unzips his trousers slowly, the sound of each tooth coming undone absolute torture. Once it's open, she slips her hand inside and cups him through his pants. His hands clench in the comforter, and he grinds his teeth to keep himself from begging her to touch his skin. She taps his hip and he shifts up, helping her rid him of his clothes. His shirt hangs open, bowtie still hanging loose from his neck.

Rose moans low in the back of her throat when she looks at his length, bringing one hand to his base to run it slowly up and down once. Her eyes are completely glazed over with lust, making every muscle in his body clench. In moments like this he still wonders how he ended up here with this perfect, pure human who loves him so much. Wants him so much. He's never deserved her, but he'll be damned if he's ever letting her go now. She leans up, pressing her lips against his head in a soft kiss and he hisses through clenched teeth.

"Rose," he breathes. She ignores him, still pumping his length at an excruciating pace. If she doesn't do something soon, he's going to die from the agony of waiting. God, both of his hearts are just going to explode if she doesn't – his train of thought completely derails as she takes him into her mouth without warning. She takes him down as far as she can, pumping the rest of his length with her hand. She bobs her head just a little, humming. He gasps her name again.

She looks up into his eyes and he sees the pure lust held within hers. It must be what his own eyes look like to her. Her free hand reaches out for his and he gives it to her immediately, lacing their fingers together tightly. She smiles around him, taking him deeper and humming again and his eyes roll back. His fingers clench convulsively against hers and he hopes that his grip isn't too tight. He doesn't want to hurt her. Not ever. She squeezes back, though, and assures him that she's just fine.

She picks her head up, still pumping him in her fist. "God, Doctor. I want to do this for you all the time. You make me want you _all the time_."

He swears again and the fingers of his free hand grope wildly for her temple. He desperately needs to connect their minds right now. He needs to feel her everywhere. He wants her to feel the pleasure she gives him. After a moment, he collects himself and looks into her eyes, silently asking permission to connect them. She nods once and returns to his length, licking a line up the bottom, all the way to the tip. Just as she begins circling the tip with her tongue, he makes the connection. Rose fills his senses completely. Everything is her. Everything is _them._ Her pace stutters as she begins feeling his pleasure, and he feels a rush of arousal race through her. It makes his hips buck up hard, and he groans an apology. Rose soothes him from their link. It's always a little overwhelming when they first connect, even after all this time. To be so completely _with_ someone this way, it's a lot to take in, even for him. He's still amazed (and eternally grateful) Rose can handle it. If he's honest, sometimes she handles it with more grace than him. Not tonight, though. Not after the day they had. They're both racing towards the edge at a blinding pace.

She clenches his hand harder, doubling the pace of her head, sucking harder. He manages to wrench his eyes open and take in the sight of her. When he does, she's looking directly at him and he can feel her desire to watch him break apart for her. He thinks it might be even stronger than his own need to come. Maybe. His eyes are too heavy, they want to close. Rose begs him not to, to keep them open so she can see and feel everything. For her, he resists. He keeps them open and locked on hers as he shatters, coming hard in her mouth. She hallows out her cheeks, swallowing around him.

Finally, he collapses back against the bed. His breathing is erratic, respiratory bypass taking over as he lays in a satisfied stupor. Rose crawls up on the bed beside him and snuggles against his chest. He wraps a weak arm around her shoulders and searches for her lips without opening his eyes. They connect eventually, and he can taste himself on her. He thinks it's probably the second most erotic taste in the entire universe, second only to the taste of Rose herself.

"Are you spent?" Rose asks, giggling. He smiles sleepily, shaking his head.

"Oh, no. You just wait, Rose Tyler. I'm gonna blow your mind," he promises.

"Take your time," she says. One of her warm hands rubs circles on his chest, lulling him to sleep before he can help himself.

RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT

He wakes up exactly fifteen minutes later. Rose is still lying with him, caressing his skin.

"Rose, I'm so sorry," he says, bottom lip jutting out. "I didn't mean to fell asleep without taking care of you first."

She laughs, kissing the side of his chest. "Clearly you needed it."

He rolls his eyes, playfully jostling the shoulder she's lying on. "I'm not some sleepy little human, Rose."

"Could've fooled me with that snoring of yours," she says, scratching her nails down his chest. He can tell she's rubbing her legs together for friction where she most needs it.

"Oi! I do _not_ snore!" he insists once he finally registers her cheeky comment. She laughs.

"No, but you were out cold for a bit there," she says. He believes her, honestly. After a day like today, he can't wait to get a hot shower and climb back into bed and hold her all night. She's the only thing that's ever really helped him sleep soundly peacefully.

"Well, now I'm refreshed and awake. Care to take advantage of the amazing shower with me?" he asks. Rose jumps up and offers him both her hands, hauling him up onto his feet. Rose runs towards the ensuite and he laughs, chasing after her through the massive room. He catches her at the door, pinning her up against it and grabbing her hips. He lifts her up and encourages her to wrap her arms and legs around him. She does, grinding against him in the process. Suddenly, he looks down and takes in their rumpled clothing. He's still in his shirt, and Rose hasn't undressed at all other than taking off her impossibly high heels (which he assumes she did while he slept). They laugh again and lean in at the same time for a kiss. He breaks it quickly, looking down at her dress again.

"If you ask me, I think you've got entirely too many clothes on," he says, shaking his head in playful disappointment.

"I think you're right," she says. He holds her bum firmly with one hand, keeping her secure against his chest and reaches with the other for the door. It swings open and they stumble in. He finds his footing, managing not to fall and take Rose down with him. Then he sets her down on her feet gently, and turns her around to unzip her dress. It comes undone smoothly and the dress pools at her feet. He catches her eyes in the mirror and presses his front flush against her back, reaching up to cup her breasts through her bra. She bites her bottom lip, pushing her bum back against him and he groans. He makes quick work of her bra, and throws it somewhere behind him into their bedroom. He cups her breasts again, rubbing both of his thumbs against her nipples. She swears under her breath and grinds her hips back against him harder. Her lace knickers rub against his length, making him impossibly hard again already.

"You promised me a shower, Doctor," she reminds him impatiently. "This is not a shower."

He laughs, running his hands down from her chest to her knickers, dipping beneath the waistband. He feels her heat radiating out against his fingers the moment he touches her. The middle finger of his right hand finds her clit easily, and he groans at how hot and wet she is already. Her hips twist around, searching for more friction. He teases her clit, touching her softly with the tip of his finger. She groans his name again and he smirks, pressing his lips against the side of her neck. Her hands suddenly come up and dive into his hair, tugging it just hard enough that it borders pain. He growls, sucking on the sensitive skin just beneath her jaw. He gives enough pressure that there will be a delicious little mark there in the morning to remind them of this moment.

"Now," she pleads, scratching his scalp lightly with her nails. He shivers and shoves her knickers down finally.

"Get rid of your shirt," she commands. He tosses it and the bowtie over his shoulder as Rose sets the shower to the perfect temperature. Within seconds, the room is filling with steam and they step into the glass shower, sliding the door closed behind them.

"Ooh, there's a seat in here," she says, biting her bottom lip. He can see the cogs in her head turning, coming up with all sorts of things they could use it for.

"The floor is non-slip as well," he tells her. She plants one foot firmly and tries to slide it along the floor, but it doesn't budge. She turns to grin at him.

"We could use one like this at home," she says, eyes glinting. He makes a very important mental note to ask the TARDIS for just that.

She twirls around, getting beneath one of the many showerheads and lets it rain down on her. He stands transfixed as the water soaks her. She leans her head back, running her fingers through her hair, her throat exposed to him. She is the most beautiful creature he's ever set eyes on.

"Could you get the shampoo?" she asks, eyes still closed. He jolts, shaking his head. He spies it on a shelf next to her. He grabs it and pops it open, pouring a generous amount onto his palm.

"Turn around," he says. She smiles and complies, tilting her head back to him. He rubs his hands together and begins scrubbing the thick lather into her hair.

"I think that'll do me, Doctor," she says with a smirk, the ridiculous amount of bubbles splattering over both of them.

"Right," he says. "At least it smells nice…"

Rose laughs, turning around to rinse the suds from her hair.

"I think I'll handle the conditioner," she says when she can finally open her eyes again.

"Oh, but that doesn't even lather up," he says, pouting. Rose bites her lip for a moment before sighing and turning around again. He grabs the conditioner and puts a much more reasonable dollop in his palm, rubbing his hands together once more and massaging it into her hair. She relaxes back against his chest and he smiles, resisting the urge to kiss her temple. As good as it smells, he's positive the conditioner doesn't taste very nice.

"Do you want to let it sit for a minute?" he asks, lifting an eyebrow at her though her eyes are closed.

"No, that's okay," she says. "I'll do that when we get home."

"I'm gonna rinse this, you go sit on that seat," she says, giving him a devious smile. He swallows hard, doing as she asked. She rinses her hair quickly, and grabs the shampoo and conditioner. Next, she repositions a showerhead so that it rains down on him and walks over.

She straddles his legs, settling herself on top of him, and opening the shampoo. She puts a small amount in her hands and rubs it into his hair. He practically purrs, leaning into her hands. Her heat is settled just above his length, and she begins grinding herself against him slowly, teasing both of them. She rinses his hair impatiently and gets the conditioner in, scrubbing thoroughly and coating every strand of hair. Her fingers tangle in his slippery hair as she grinds a little faster against him. She pulls his hair a little harder than normal, trying her best to keep a grip on him.

"You might wanna… rinse it," he pants, hips thrusting up against her. She laughs breathlessly, nodding. She adjusts the showerhead and rinses his hair once more.

"God," she groans as the head of his length brushes against her clit on one particularly good thrust. "Inside."

"Don't have to tell me twice," he mutters. Rose laughs, shifting so he can get a hand around his cock. He loses himself for a moment, pumping his length a couple of times before Rose makes an impatient noise. He lines them up and she sinks down on him. They both gasp, all the air leaving their lungs. One of his hands settles on her hip and the other goes up to her temple to connect their minds once more. In a rush, Rose reenters his mind, and he's lost in her. He plants his feet firmly on the floor and thrusts up against her hard, hitting the spot deep inside her that makes them both groan each other's names.

She puts her hands on his shoulders, working her hips in tight circles, grinding down on him. He encourages her to slide up and down his length, and she does, twisting her hips on every down stroke. His hand abandons her hip to find her clit and rub circles with just the right pressure to keep her on the edge. She whimpers, mentally begging him for more. As much as he wants to draw it out, tease them for ages, he can't. He can't deny her anything she wants. He gives her what she needs, circling her clit harder and thrusting up into her.

Their hips find an astonishing rhythm, and their bodies and minds work in perfect synchronization. Her nails bite into his shoulders, and he's sure to have marks tomorrow to match the one under her jaw.

"I'm close," she says out loud. He didn't need to hear it, he can feel it in his mind and in the way her walls clench around him. Something about hearing it pulls him closer to the edge.

"Me too," he says. She leans down and takes his bottom lip into her mouth, nipping and sucking on it. He feels the tension mounting. Any second now, they'll fly over the edge.

They shatter together, Rose clenching him so tight he sees stars as he pulses inside her. They cling together, entirely spent. He groans, head thumping against the wall behind him. She rests her forehead against his throat, her walls still gently convulsing around him.

"I love this shower," she breathes. He laughs and she joins in, relief and euphoria rushing back and forth through their link. "The water hasn't even gotten cold."

"We are getting one of these," he promises, arms still wrapped around her. "Maybe we should get dry now, though."

She groans, snuggling her face against his neck. "Jus' a second."

"We can't fall asleep in here, Rose," he says.

"Fine," she sighs. She sits up, letting him slip gently out of her. They both hiss at the sensation. She gets up first and he follows, shutting off the water as they step out of the shower and into the still steamed-up loo. They wrap themselves in fluffy towels, drying off and getting into their jimjams in what must be record time.

"I'm starving," she says, yawning as she climbs into the bed. "I swear I can still smell the food from the party."

The Doctor sniffs curiously, looking around the room. He laughs when he sees a basket sitting just inside their door.

"Looks like we may be in luck," he says, rushing over to see what it holds. "It's from the queen. She says they noticed us slip off and… figured we'd be needing some food before long."

Rose laughs at the blush that creeps up into his cheeks.

"That's so nice of them! Sweet people, that lot," she says. He brings the basket over to the bed and they wrap the duvet around them before digging into the food. They eat and laugh sleepily. He thinks this might have been one of the longest days of his life. Before long, they've devoured the whole basket. He sits it down on the floor by the bed and wraps Rose up in his arms, before adjusting the blanket and settling down. As they're drifting off to sleep, his mind wanders. He thinks again how she almost spent forever not knowing what she meant to him. What she'll always mean to him. It makes his hearts hurt.

"I'll always love you, Rose Tyler," he whispers. He's never experienced anything like what Rose makes him feel. He doesn't think he ever could again with anyone else. Every time he says those words to her, it feels like the first time. It makes his hearts want to beat right out of his chest.

"I know," she says. "I'll always love you, too."

"Quite right, too."


End file.
